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rockpaperimpala · 2 months

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So about Netflix's the Last Airbender....

I am literally so confused you guys. You made me think I would HATE this show. And I LOVED it. Me. Known perfectionist and hater.

Katara was lovely. Yes, she started as a more soft spoken character than her cartoon version, but she was still passionate and hopeful throughout, just visibly unsure of herself. I think people were thrown off by this actress' natural way of expressing herself, which is Different from animated katara for sure, but not bad. Then she spends the whole season growing in Confidence and Fire. I Adored her fight with Paku, it really did feel like a payout of the whole season's development, and the bending kicked ass!

The Bending Kicked ass!!! The martial arts was fun and fast and creative and exciting! It looked SO good. That alone would be enough reason for me to watch and enjoy any show.

Zuko's actor was fantastic. He really captured the rage and confusion of this 16 year old banished prince. And there were so many Added moments between him and Iroh wich to me enriched their relationship. Like YES! This is why I'm watching, to see more of them, to see things done a little differently.

Iroh facing the consequences of his actions at Ba Sing Se!! That's what I'm here for!

Zuko's relationship with the men on his ship! That's what I'm here for!

The Extra layers we get to Ozai manipulating his children!

Also no one is talking about Admiral Zhao, who I had SO much fun with. I feel like they slightly fleshed out his character in a really dramatic way, really developing the hubris and frankly insane grasping ambition of someone who would kill the moon. I completely enjoyed this wilder, less controlled version of him, who comes up through the season from basically nothing and no one!

I am OBSESSED with King BUMI and his anger and disillusionment with the world! Like this was SO real. Living a hundred years of futile war would do that!!!! It is one of my favorite changes to the whole series. This new layer of emotion and character depth is what I'm here for!

Sokka was SO funny. He literally had me laughing out loud so often. That actor GETs Sokka, and GETS the way his humor is delivered. And is also able to tap into the more vulnerable side of him. People said he was "obsessed" with leadership. WHAT? That is a young person trying desperately to do his best and to try and find his place in the world, to figure what he has to offer. I loved his pride at hearing the Mechanist say that he would make a good engineer, and the sweetness of the moment that Yue's father says that he can be a hero without being a warrior. Sokka does so much growth in this series, in understanding himself and life.

And his chemistry with Suki was adorable!! I even like him and Yue (who was a totally unexpected sweetheart, despite her terrible wig)!! Like he has that same ability that Sokka has in the original to Connect with people.

Aang was great! He WAS fun loving and sweet and funny. I don't know what you guys wanted. Cartoons are always bigger and more exaggerated than live action. People's eyes swell up an, birds fly around their heads, and there are funny sound effects. That larger than life quality is the strength of animation! You have to look for different strength in live action. Like the SUBTLETIES of the acting choices. This little actor brought so much kindness, innocence, and strength to Aang.

And I FELT his frustration at being asked to do this at 12, his fresh hope anytime it looked like someone more experienced would be able to help him and no one did, and that's why he didn't learn waterbending this season, because he kept waiting for an freaking ADULT to show him the way, to help him carry this immense burden, but every adult he meets asks him for help instead, asks him to carry it himself, and then the finale hits and he realizes that there won't be any adults helping, he does have figure this out himself, and he makes the hard choice, takes on responsibility more than his years and offers himself to the ocean spirit, and he might have been lost entirely if not for Katara!

And that counter running theme to the show pays off: that he doesn't have to do it alone. He may not have more experienced guidance, because the adults have let him down again and again, but his friends will be with him, and they will figure it out together!

This is there throughout the series! Katara tells him this about learning waterbending, when he says he still wants to wait. Bumi tells him this in the palace at Omashu, and Aang sees the faith he has in his friends repaid!

I like these changes! And the show still found time for silly fun adventures and character building moments.

The show was never going to be the animated original. That is already a Masterpiece, and it frankly did NOT need to be adapted at all. I did not WANT a live action adaptation. I was adamantly convinced I would hate it. But the changes that they netflix show gave are what I Iike most about it. If I want to see Zuko say "you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun," I will go watch the animated original, because that version is perfect. And now, if i want to see Zuko say "Lu ten would have been proud to have you as a father," and see iroh pull him into a tight hug, I can watch this live action version, which is very good too. I'm going to disagree with most of the people on here and say that the Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender, DOES capture the heart of what we liked about the original show. It's spirit, fun, excitement, and characters. And the changes made are the reason we should be watching.

#avatar the last airbender #natla

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baldval · 2 months

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ART DECO PART 2!₊˚⊹♡

characters: valentino x gn!reader

wc: 1.7k

warnings: cursing, canon!valentino (he doesn't mind vox's bad actions towards other people), insanely angsty.

series masterlist!

You're half awake and disorientated. Valentino got up to find out who was at the door 10 minutes ago, and frankly, you're getting worried.

Against your better judgement, you throw on his shirt from the night before and make your way out of the bedroom.

You enter the living room to be met face to face with Vox.

Shit.

You briefly wonder if you can play it off, fabricate a story, tell him it's not what it looks like!

Apart from, it's exactly what it looks like.

Someone from Vox's assistance team saw you and Val enter his room together after the meeting. And now you're here, in his living room, wearing nothing but his shirt. And your shoes are by the front door. And there's a wine glass abandoned on the counter.

There's no getting out of this one.

Valentino wants to scream, yell at you to go back to his room. He wants to pick you up and throw you out of sight, praying Vox hasn't noticed all the tell tale signs. But it's too late. He has.

"Okay. Uh - what the fuck is going on?"

Vox asks the question while looking between the two of you like some sort of cartoon character doing a double take. It doesn't require a genius to figure it out, but he needs to hear one of you say it out loud.

"Listen, Vox-"

"Vox, don't get mad-"

You both speak at the same time, verbally tripping over each other. You've never actually discussed what you'd do or say if you got found out. You both just always naively assumed it wouldn't happen.

You sit down on the edge of the couch, and look at your boss earnestly.

You had earned his respect with all the years you'd been working for him, creating and animating shows for the Vees.

However, you knew it could all disappear.

It would be a lie to say you didn't see it coming, what was true is that you weren't ready for it.

"Vox, I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. It isn't fair. But you can't get mad when I tell you the truth."

"I'll be the judge of that," he mutters sassily.

"Will you come and sit with me, please? The standing is making me nervous. I feel like I'm on trial."

"You might be. I haven't decided yet."

You can't tell if he's joking. He's certainly not smiling.

Vox moves to sit down next you. Val follows, perching himself on the opposite end to give you space. Close enough if you need him, far enough that it won't upset your boss more.

"Start talking," he commands, still confused.

"It's... well I - we - me and Valentino, we're -"

"Together," Val finishes for you. Vox glares at him, and he decides he'll keep his mouth shut for a while.

"Yeah, we're together," you continue. "We have been for over a year. It isn't just sex, or anything. I'm like- in love with him."

It's weird to finally bear this truth after keeping it a secret for so long. It feels wrong, but also refreshing - like a bitter lemon on a hot day.

Vox is scarily silent.

"You're... kidding, right?" he asks, finally breaking through the quiet.

Your silence is enough answer for you as he looks at you incredulously.

"You're so fuckin' naive." He turns over to Valentino. "How can you sit here and act like this doesn't change anything?"

Val tries to speak, but he continues.

"You lied to me, first off. Both of you. For God knows how long-"

"Vox-"

"Let me fucking finish."

You shrink back into the couch, hoping it would swallow you.

"You both lied to me. You broke my trust... and uh, that fucking hurts, actually. And then there's the business side of things. They work for me, they work for the Vees. And, I don't know if you remember, but you are a Vee. That's a conflict of interest."

Val scoffs at him, but then realises he's deadly serious.

"... A conflict of interest?"

"It's against company policy. How am I going to trust you? How is anyone? Information might get leaked. What if I tell you something, and then you tell them?" He points over to you. "And then they tell whoever friends they have, and they post about it on social media, and all of a sudden nothing is private anymore. I. Can't. Trust. You."

Tears are welling up in your eyes quicker than you can control. You're trying to take deep breaths, begging yourself not to cry in front of Vox.

"You do get this is my life right? I get to choose whoever I date," Val whispers.

"Yeah? Well, it's my life. And they're MY worker. And I get to choose whatever I'll do to them."

A choked sob escapes you, and the floodgates open. Fresh, hot tears sprint down your cheeks, landing in your lap.

Vox doesn't care about your suffering, he just wants to punish Valentino through you.

Val can't stand to sit and watch any longer.

"Okay, Vox, that's enough. This isn't fair."

"What's not fair is that two of people I trust the most both lying to my face for a year. That's what isn't fucking fair."

With that, Vox stands up and strides towards the front door, slamming it behind him as he leaves. The minute he's gone, Valentino is wrapping his arms around you, pulling you into his chest.

"It's okay, darling," he murmurs, stroking your hair. "He'll come around. We'll be okay. If we stick together, we'll be okay."

His reassurances are only making you cry harder, sobs escaping you uncontrollably. You eventually exhaust yourself, falling into a restless sleep in Val's arms on the couch.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

You wake up in bed. You've temporarily forgotten the events of the morning, before it all comes crashing back down around you suddenly. Distantly, you can hear Valentino in the kitchen, talking on the phone. You look around the room, and know what you have to do.

You leave the bedroom with a bag in hand, throwing it onto the ground as you grab your shoes. Val clocks you, and hangs up the phone.

"Can I call you back? Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

He runs over to where you're slipping your heels on, precariously balanced against the side of the couch.

"Honey, where are you going?" he questions, panic washing over him at your frantic state. "Wait, have you packed a bag?"

He's trying to catch your eyes, but you keep looking away, desperate to avoid his unrelenting gaze.

"I'm going home."

A pause.

"... This is your home."

You knew he'd say that. It hurts just the same.

"No, Valentino, this is your home. My apartment is across town."

"You haven't been there in months. All your stuff is here. Baby, talk to me. What's going on? Did Vox get in your head?"

"He has a point!" you shout, trying to pick up your bag. Val gets there first and grabs it, flinging it behind him, out of your reach.

"About what? He's just in shock, baby! He's confused and he feels betrayed. You don't owe him fuckin' anything. Not after everything that he has put you through."

"But I love my job, Val. I can't lose everything I've worked so hard to achieve!"

"You love that piece of shit job? Yesterday you literally had to get up at 6 am just to get here and get yelled at for an hour and a half. Look- I love Vox but he's not a good boss. Hell! I don't even care about that, I just can't stand to see him abuse you and treat you like you're close to nothing. You're better off without him and you know it. You're just too attatched to what you have."

Subconsciously, you know he's right. You're trying to convince yourself he isn't.

"You don't get it though."

"Except I do. Do you think I don't know about Vox's methods? I understand that it's what he needs to do to get the job done, but... I just can't stand him treating you like that."

"You heard what he said! He won't trust you anymore. No one will. Besides, I know it's shitty, but my job is important to me. I can't be forgotten. Known only as an old failed artist."

"Trust me, honey, you're the least likely to be named a failure."

"That's not the point! You're not listening to me. I come from the bottom, I've had to fight for respect every fucking day of my life. I'm finally where I deserve to be. I can't throw it all away for... for love!"

Valentino flinches like you've punched him in the gut. He takes a step back and leans against the kitchen island, trying to keep his balance.

"What happened to 'you and me against the world', huh?" he murmurs.

"I think I got too wrapped up in this - in us. I was stupid to think it could work. We both were."

"I wasn't," he replies defiantly. "I knew exactly what I was getting into. I knew it would be really fucking difficult and I loved you anyway."

"I'm not sorry for loving you," you whisper. "I'm sorry for a lot of things, but never for loving you."

"If you meant that, you wouldn't be giving up."

You turn your head around, unable to look at him any longer.

"This isn't giving up. This is... quitting while we're ahead. If we keep going, we'll just end up having a huge, horrible, public breakup," you stop, and take a deep breath. "I think we were always doomed to fail."

Valentino thinks about the diamond ring that sits in a box in the top drawer of his nightstand. Doomed to fail.

You finally look up at him, and all the air leaves your lungs. You've never seen him look so defeated, so vulnerable. You're the cause of this. And you hate yourself for it.

You pad across the kitchen and pick up your bag from where he threw it, before stopping in front of him.

"I don't regret you, Valentino. I never will."

With that, you stride out of the front door, closing it gently behind you. Val is left, cold and empty, in a room that no longer feels like home.

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel imagine #hazbin hotel headcanon #hazbin hotel #valentino hazbin hotel #valentino x reader #valentino hazbin hotel headcanon #cursed cat alastor #hazbin hotel valentino #valentino #the vees #valentino x you #valentino headcanons

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rizsu · 1 year

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to each their own manjiro sano. wakasa imaushi. gojo satoru.

sum. relationship moments

manjiro sano.

it's not a secret that mikey's private about his life—private to the point where no one knows if he even lives in japan (specifically tokyo) anymore. so, it's more than safe to say that everyone in bonten's inner circle was surprised when mikey ended the meeting early due to you being in the hospital. of course not for pregnancy—mikey does not agree with kids and you think they're a little too expensive.

we have kokonoi, who didn't hold back with his curiosity. simply asking his boss, “who's the girl and why's she in there?” sanzu, who holds back whatever he wants to say. rindou and ran, who are quiet but nudging each other as a sign. kakucho, who offered to drive mikey to the hospital. and lastly, akashi and mochi who lacks interest in the current topic. they're curious but not like the others.

mikey declines kakucho and ignores the questions, opting for a simple “do whatever. i'll be gone for two days.” before leaving one of bonten's many headquaters.

busy footsteps, random conversations and the clinks of medical glass tubes replace the silence for noise. he hates it. mikey hates the hospital. he doesn't know why nor does he want to know why—he just does. maybe it's the countless times he's been here to hear the confirmation of someone's death or maybe it's the unsure feeling of whether someone's going to die or not. whatever it is, he doesn't care.

“excuse,” mikey stops a nurse. he's been walking around in confusion because he refused to ask which room you're in but the consequences of walking around is getting to his legs. keeping his hands in his pockets, he continues, “do you know which room and floor patient y/n is?”

giving him a customer service smile, the nurse looks down to her clipboard before responding, “she's on floor four, room twelve on the left.”

you've got to be fucking with me.

mikey steps to the elevator, slapping the “floor 4” button while he waits for it to open with an attitude. maybe today isn't his day.

and you? you're absolutely calm. nothing much is going on in your room other than you eating some chips while watching the cartoon that's showing on the t.v.

raising the bag to empty all the crumbs in your mouth, you choke a little seeing a small, black silhouette.

mikey walks closer, flicking his finger on your forehead, “you.”

“listen, i didn't see it.” quick to defend yourself, you try to explain the lore behind you ending up in the hospital for a broken ankle.

mikey sits on the bed, hand caressing the bandage over your ankle. if you study his face, you can see a little smile on it. very, very little smile. looking up at you, mikey eyes your expression before asking, “are you okay though?”

nodding a “yes”, you pull his hand away from your ankle and intertwine it with yours. a silence dawns on you both—the same silence that takes over before mikey initiates a kiss and so he does.

using his free hand to hold your chin, he brings you closer and connects your lips together. you can say it's his way of continuing a conversation. after all, mikey's shows his love in actions instead of words most of the time.

wakasa imaushi.

who is wakasa if not the number one trickster? certainly not himself if he's not. it's a daily occurrence for wakasa to pull a prank on you at least three times week—at minimum that is. at twenty-seven, wakasa takes pride in being the only one who can catch you at surprise.

but sadly, all jokes must come to an end. although he's a childish trickster, he also gets drunk which makes the perfect equation for terrible drunk decisions and hangovers worse than satan himself.

“just come here, pleaseeeee.” “no.” “i'll just die then.”

there are four words to describe a sick wakasa and they're: dramatic and extremely clingy. you've been dealing with this since dawn. mr. drink-it-all had an outing with his friends and came back home knocked out, red cheeks, a hand gripping on a beer and him slung over benkei and shinichiro. now you're suffering the consequences of being a good girlfriend and taking care of him and his hungover.

making a u-turn from the kitchen to his body sprawled over the couch, you place down the bowl of soup and some painkillers, “eat up and eat it all.”

before you can walk away, wakasa grabs your arm and yanks you down onto his lap. immediately snaking one hand across your stomach to secure you there, he happily eats his meal.

“wakasa—”

“this tastes good.”

“let me—”

“make some more.”

“ok but you—”

“is there any more?”

pinching his skin, you feel your eye twitch, “cut me off when i'm speaking one more time i swear.”

laughing at your sentence, wakasa puts the spoon down. he leans back on the couch and pulls you into his chest even more. this time, both hands are circled on your stomach. lowering his head on your shoulder, he complains “feelin' like shit.”

“finish your soup and we'll go to sleep after.”

gojo satoru.

it's silent. too silent for the two that live in the house. well, when push comes to shove and arguments take place, it's bound to be a tense silence. here we have gojo satoru, a man that can't take anything seriously and y/n l/n, a woman who also can't take anything seriously but nothing good comes out of arguing with someone who's just like you.

after a heated argument, you've marked your territory by sleeping in the middle of the bed and gojo's marked his by making a “fort” with the cushions, a random sheet and his designated pillow. although both parties and comfortable they can't help but think that something's missing.

gojo's the first to make a move. he opens the “door” to his fort but stops himself. he vividly remembers what happened last time he annoyed you when you were mad. the fear still lives in him. on your side, you're already at the door, debating whether you should go to him or not. i'm sure the couch's uncomfortable, you worry. after all, gojo's long and the couch isn't.

sneaking up to the couch, you try to be as quiet as possible incase he's asleep already. tiptoeing up to where you think gojo's at, you're met with a mess in the living room instead.

“...gojo fucking satoru.” “knock before talking!”

you feel exactly like a cartoon character that has those three veins pop up when mad. if gojo's anything other than serious, he's childish. now don't get it wrong—you absolutely love him but most times he does questionable things that makes you go ‘???’

“knocking” on the cushion, you wait patiently for gojo to open it. kicking the cushion out from inside, gojo crawls out and stands up to face you. now it's him, his pillow and his grin that he's desperately trying to hide.

“okay jokes aside, i'm sorry.” gojo breaks the silence first. he awkwardly shifts around, rocking back and forth on his feet wondering if you'd let him hold you right now.

it's your turn to stifle a laugh now. he's cute, you think. if there's another thing about gojo it's that he's awkward and cute with his apologies (well at least to you..)

“it's okay, satoru. now fix that mess and come upstairs” pulling him into a hug, your hands travel up and down his back before you give him a little kiss, pulling away to walk back upstairs to leave him with his fort.

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ohnoitstbskyen · 11 months

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one piece live action thoughts?

It looks very much like a live action adaptation of One Piece. For better, and very much also for worse.

I mean this in the sense that it's adapted to fit a form that helps it make sense 1) in live action and 2) to a general audience which isn't intimately familiar with manga or anime, and which a broadcaster or streaming service would want to reach.

Luffy especially, at least going by the relatively tiny snippet we have seen so far, seems to have had some of his more peculiar edges sanded off to fit more comfortably into the mold of a typical young adult protagonist, which includes the... I guess what people call "marvel speak" now? The little funny quips and asides and ironic saying-the-obvious-thing-out-loud beats, which are more Americanisms than Marvel specific but I digress.

In One Piece, Luffy is most often not the point of view character, especially early on. Luffy is usually observed from outside by other characters - Koby serves this role in the early chapters, and from then on usually we see Luffy through his crew, or through whatever secondary characters they're interacting with in that particular arc.

People have observed this before, but in the manga, we essentially NEVER get any internal monologue from Luffy, he always either SAYS what he's thinking, or he runs on head empty no thoughts just vibes instinct and gut reaction.

And that... probably doesn't really work with a typical young adult protagonist. If adapted faithfully to screen, I think a lot of audiences would read him as just a reckless, inconsiderate and kinda heartless asshole, because a framing and presentation of Luffy that makes sense in a manga or anime just doesn't read the same in live action filmmaking.

Like, One Piece opens with Luffy recklessly sailing off to sea despite having no idea how to sail, getting sucked into a whirlpool and surviving on sheer dumb luck, getting picked up by some pirates in a barrel. Then he meets an abused child named Koby who has been getting the shit kicked out of him daily for months and immediately calls him a clumsy, stupid, cowardly worthless loser to his face and laughs at him.

Like, if you adapted that faithfully, how would that come across to a general audience? Imagine this scene staged in live-action, with human actors having to portray this conversation rather than stylized cartoon people. It simply wouldn't come across the same way, Luffy would come across as an It's Always Sunny character at best. Why would a general audience sympathize with him? Why would they find him compelling or worth investing emotionally in?

And I'm not saying there aren't ways to adapt One Piece faithfully into live action, there absolutely are (much like the manga, I would make everyone ELSE the point-of-view characters looking AT Luffy rather than try and present him as a Likeable Protagonist, for example).

My point is just that in any translation into live action, there are going to be concessions to the medium, there are going to be concessions to film language, concessions to audience expectations, concessions to the market conditions, concessions to the studio funding the filming, and so on. That's just the nature of the endeavour.

When it's done well, you get an adaptation that preserves the spirit of the thing while fitting its medium. Lord of the Rings comes to mind, an adaptation which changed huge amounts from its source material, but preserved the spirit.

When it's done poorly you get... well, Cowboy Bebop on Netflix.

I don't know from the tiny trailer snippet we've seen whether this show will preserve the spirit of One Piece, it very well may not, and end up another victim on the pile of bad anime adaptations. But I don't think the fact that it changed the vibe of the characters or Main Character'd Luffy alone are reasons to dismiss it, at least not yet. Those might have been necessary concessions for the show to work in live action at all. We shall see.

I'm not super optimistic or excited (because, again, I remember Cowboy Bebop), but I'm not despairing of it yet either.

#tb answers #one piece #one piece netflix #netflix one piece #luffy

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aangarchy · 6 months

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So while rewatching the live action trailer a 50th time i kind of started thinking about something.

There's a few moments in atla that always seemed untouchable to me. Not only because they were well executed when it comes to storytelling, but also bc we never actually see the moments in question. Examples are: the attack on the air temples, Ozai burning Zuko, Katara's mother's death. We hear about these from other characters who happened to be there, or in case of the air temples: we hear the moment being retold as history. It's the latter i want to expand on.

The original cartoon never shows us even a glimpse of the attack on the air temples. You could say "well it's a kid's show they can't show a brutal genocide" but honestly, we're talking about a cartoon that showed a skeleton on screen in the third episode, showed the main character getting electrocuted and plummeting to his death, and showed a man being drowned by a spirit. The reason they didn't show it imo, is because it makes sense for the narrative. This attack was a century ago. Everyone that witnessed the attacks and was old enough to remember them is dead. Bumi is the only person we know of that was alive at the time and old enough to somewhat remember, but he wasn't present. It's comparable to world war one for us. There's nobody alive currently that properly remembers WW1. We're being told about it in history class, we get shown those weird black and white videos of smiling soldiers on their way to their death, pushing carts through the mud, them shooting a few canons, the trenches etc. But there's no first hand recollections. The creators really drove home the point of the airbender genocide being ancient history to the current inhabitants of this world by never showing us the attacks itself, and only having it be a known historical fact. It's just something that happened, it was long ago, nobody remembers it. All they know is there's no more airbenders, they're extinct, and nobody remembers jack shit about airnomad culture and philosophy except those that study it (aka professor zei) and even then, it's based off of destroyed architecture and hard to find historical texts that i'm sure the Fire Nation tried their best to erase. The viewers of the show only get information about air nomads through Aang, and whatever flashbacks from his own memory he provides. It leaves us wanting to know more, and it feels extra tragic knowing we'll only have Aang to rely on to tell us the tales of his people (for atla specifically, i know we now have more info due to the avatar novels).

Netflix however, literally opens their trailer with three shots of the attack. The comet, then the fireballs being shot, then the firebenders and airbenders facing off. I don't like this decision to show the battle that took place, because then the point of it being ancient gets a bit lost. We as the audience get more information than the main characters have, and idk but to me that kind of ruins the experience?

Same with Zuko getting his scar. Not only are they gonna show us that, they put it in the trailer. Why? This is a very important character moment in the show that we don't even get to see bc it's told from Iroh's perspective and he looked away the moment it happened. Before this we were given crumbs as to how Zuko got his scar. And Netflix is just tossing it our way like Peeta tossed bread at Katniss Everdeen.

I might feel differently abt this when the show airs (although not likely lol) but currently i'm just kind of mad at these creative decisions being made man

#avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar #netflix atla #atla netflix #netflix #atla live action

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the-one-true-nobody · 8 months

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I've been acquainted with Grand Admiral Thrawn ever since I picked up Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire from the school library around ninth grade or so. He was such an interesting villain to me at the time, and that impression hasn't lessened with age. Being the key antagonist in one of the old Star Wars expanded universe's first big storylines, he's also kind of a major figure of the whole darn beyond-the-movies canon, in the same way that Darth Revan is. And he kind of filled a void that the Original Trilogy left gaping wide, in the sense that—apart from the fleeting presence of Tarkin in A New Hope, the Imperial military never really had any threatening and competent military leaders at the face of things... just Darth Vader and the Emperor.

I was thrilled to see Thrawn make his live action debut in Ahsoka, and though my first visual impression of the guy was a little underwhelming. The Rebels incarnation in particularly very much had that "a strong body feeds a strong mind" kind of character and a physique to match, along with a Sherlock Holmes hawkishness to his facial features. But as soon as he opened his mouth and I realized how on-point the performance here was coming off the back of his appearances in Rebels, I was sold.

It seems some people really are very skin-deep in what they find "imposing," though, because there are a lot of complaints about how "lame" he looks, because he's "fat," or whatever. It's true, you can see it if you look at his uniform: he's got a bit of a gut going on underneath his just-slightly-frayed-and-aging Grand Admiral dress whites.

I say: "So what?"

The appearance is still solid; discrepancies can be explained by, for example, Thrawn undergoing an extended recovery period from some unspecified injury he sustained when the purrgils warped him and Ezra through hyperspace into another galaxy. If you recall, Thrawn was actually in quite the predicament when that happened:

It might well even be that he hasn't been able to maintain a strong and healthy body in the way he used to, for example. Maybe he had to go through painstaking self-directed physical therapy to even get as far as he has.

More importantly, his performance is absolutely on-point. He has the same presence he did in Rebels, minus the exaggerated CGI-cartoon facial expressions that everyone had in that show. He moves, acts, and speaks in a way that I would absolutely imagine of him in the Thrawn Trilogy novels. And he hasn't really even had time to build tactical momentum yet. It's everything I could have wanted from a Thrawn portrayal.

So yeah, I say "So what?" So what if he's a bit "fat." He's Thrawn. The king has returned to Dark Side Minas Tirith, and it is glorious.

Sidebar: Ezra Bridger's live action return was also glorious, but I don't need to tell y'all that, do I?

#star wars #ahsoka series #ahsoka show #ahsoka spoilers #thoughts #blog #thrawn #grand admiral thrawn #ezra bridger #spoilers

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sokkastyles · 2 months

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ATLA LA Ep2 Let's go:

I love that they kept a lot of the original music, but one thing I could have done without is the generic three-note chord to signal a cut to a scene with a villainous character. Those specific notes have been parodied too often for me to take it seriously. It's one thing that always jarred me in the original and it is especially jarring in live action to hear music that signifies a cartoon villain is about to walk on screen.

Zuko throwing things and chewing the scenery my beloved

"He ran! He's a coward!" I do love the angle of Zuko being confronted with the reality of what he thought would be a glorious destiny. There are two reasons Zuko associates not fighting with cowardice. One is because of what he believes about the fire nation as a whole, but also because of what his father made him believe about himself.

I do like that Aang is identifying that controlling the Avatar State is a problem he needs to solve. It gives me hope that the writers are trying to actually flesh out that plot point where the original failed. I don't like that there's been no mention yet of him needing to learn waterbending. Which brings me to...

Yes, Katara, it IS unbelievable that you've learned waterbending in a day all because Aang said some mumbo to you about energy. That's why I don't believe it. Katara does grow fast in the original, too, but it still feels organic. Here it doesn't and once again, it feels like they are giving that credit all to Aang and I hate that. I also hate that this is Katara's motivation rather than the Katara who took it upon herself to make sure the Avatar learned waterbending whether he wanted to or not.

There is something missed by Kanna giving Katara the waterbending scroll. Idk, trying not to compare to the original because I did want Kanna to be more active in Katara's life. But I get the same feeling of loss here as Aang already having Appa's whistle. Those two things in the original were part of a point about the tragedy of cultural attrition, that Aang has to buy back a cultural artifact that the seller does not even know the true meaning of, that Katara has to steal hers from pirates who already stole from her culture. It also begs the question that if Kanna had that scroll the whole time, why didn't she show it to Katara before, who was so desperate to learn waterbending?

Zuko talking about being gone three years, clearly ecstatic at the thought that his banishment will come to an end, while Iroh looks like he's about to send his son to his death for the second time. Kudos to the actors' faces expressing so much in that one scene.

The actor for Sokka is very good-looking.

Aang and Katara playing in the water was cute, but they seem even farther apart in maturity here than in the original. Even that scene comes across as a much older sister honoring a young child. I don't get a sense of Katara as someone yearning to be a child.

She's not wrong about the Avatar bringing connections, but Aang showing off isn't really the best illustration of that concept.

Okay, so, I saw some people complaining about Suki wanting to leave home "because of a boy" and like, that also happened in the original. What feels kinda pat here is that we've also added overprotective mom to the mix, which I don't love. When I said I wanted Suki's mom I meant I wanted to know how Suki became a warrior, I wanted to see more women bonding with other women and women's autonomy being treated as normal. Not whatever this is.

So they don't already know Zhao here? That's less interesting. Also "actual royalty." Another log to keep the "Zhao is a royal bastard" theory burning. Heh, burning.

Sokka is still a prick about girls fighting, everyone can rest easy now. Also his reaction when Suki tries to flirt with him the same way he does with her is exactly how that would play out in real life.

Aang avoiding fighting out of fear of his own power adds an interesting dimension to his character which is only briefly touched on in the original.

Zuko and Katara 1v1 yes!!!

Katara flashbacking to her mom's death during her first real fight is a nice touch.

KYOSHI!!!

Zhao wasn't very impressive until Zuko accidentally gave him a foothold, then that shit-eating grin was great.

I'll hold off on really commenting on this because I haven't gotten that far yet, but I heard that Ozai is more willing to praise Zuko here and it just does not make a lot of sense to me, not only because that is not how that kind of parent works, but also because hearing the news from Zhao, who would 100% play up Zuko having discovered and then LOST the Avatar, would just make Ozai see Zuko as more of a failure for having come close. Unless Zuko does something spectacular in the next few episodes I don't see Ozai being impressed.

#atla live action

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bogslob · 2 months

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I think zukos character development is kinda missing in the live action. In the original he does bad things and hurts people, here they let other people do his part. Just to make him more likeable? Just like taking sokkas sexism away, it's not a bad thing as long as he grows out of it.

Hi, this is so exciting, my very first one of these question thingys.

Okay so I kinda agree with you. I do feel like Zukos anger has been kinda watered down, but he still does bad things and I honestly dont feel like his character changed that much . For example in the cartoon his attack on Aang set Kyoshi on fire and it didnt in the live action and I don’t feel like this has any repercussions on his character because I never felt like it was intentional to set the fire it was just a by product of Zuko trying to capture Aang, and I feel like if it had happened in the live action Zuko would have reacted the same way. I think Zuko never wanted to hurt people, but capturing the avatar was so important to him that if people got hurt on the way so be it, capturing Aang was worth it, but I don’t think in either version he would have hurt people if he could have avoided it.

I think thats what makes Zukos character development possible, he never wanted to cause any harm. I think it’s important that we see that what ever is going on with Zuko he truly cares about people. I think one of the key moments that shows this is when in “the storm” (cartoon) Zuko momentarily gives up on capturing Aang and prioritises his crews safety. I think another key moment was when Zuko attempted to save Zhao from koi-Aang, it seemed so poignant that even when he was the bad guy he would try and save his enemy.

I think it’s his desperation thats missing in the live action. The absolute drive to capture Aang and regain his honour. I think the reason he was willing to put other people in danger is because he valued capturing Aang over all else, at the end of the day, it was Zuko who was in the most danger every time, he was always the one to fight Aang head on. I think this is best evidenced when he swims through the seal holes to enter the northern water tribe. I just don’t feel like live action Zukos heart is truly in it in the same way. I think this is so important for Ozais and Zukos relationship, and without Zuko having this same desperation it seems less plausible that he would re join the fire nation at the end of season 2. We have already seen that the live action Zuko has fought Ozai at the agni kai, which makes me feel like he is allready further on his journey towards rebellion. Although to be fair his lack of desperation may be in part due to the fact that live action Ozai seems to have a slightly better relationship with Zuko, almost seeming proud of him for finding the avatar (although we also have no idea how he acted when he was around Zuko), but he does still burn Zukos face off so I think this is unlikely.

At the end of the day, I think both Zukos loyalty is to the fire nation, but I think in season 1 cartoon Zukos loyalty is to Ozai and live action Zukos loyalty is to his people.

But obviously this is all subjective and from the point of view of someone who has watched the cartoon many times and therefore my opinion is heavily influenced by this. I also feel like live action Zuko may be better than he really was in my brain because honestly he was the only character I liked. I am very curious how someone new to the series would view live action Zuko though.

#that was a very long winded way of saying I agree but also dont #i definitely need to watch both series’s again #and compare the differences #i havent seen the cartoon in years #and to be honest I didn’t pay that much attention to the live action #what are the seal things called i cant remember #nahvatar the last airbender #atla live action #atla netflix #atla #natla spoilers #natla #netflix avatar the last airbender #avatar the last airbender live action #avatar live action #avatar #Zuko

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lostangelssong · 3 months

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Tron: TAS - the best character

I was feeling nostalgic tonight about one of my favorite series when I was a kid. And because it's late, and I'm awake I want to talk about it. Particularly, I want to talk about Turing - my favorite character from Tron: The Animated Series.

What? You don't remember Turing? He was a recurring villain in season one and had that awesome face heel-face turn in season two, during the episodes where Tron got reprogrammed. And he was voiced by Tim Curry to make it even more awesome! How can you not remember Turing?

No one thought that much of Turing during season one, both in the show, and as far as people watching it were concerned. He was a program that was vaguely reminiscent of Dr. Wily from the Ruby-Spears Megaman cartoon, but instead of being the main villain of the season, he was kind of like the Mandarin in Season 1 of the 90s Iron Man Cartoon - before he became the big villain in season 2. Mandarin that is - not Turing. So kind of like a recurring mad scientist character who stole every scene he was in back in season 1, but they used him sparingly, both because Tim Curry was expensive, and also because the action was focused more around Jet, Tron, Clu, and all of the other good guys, like cartoons often are. (Though the behind the scenes stuff I've found said that Tim Curry was actually totally on board with being on the show and he had a lot of fun with the role).

For example, there was this one episode in Season 1, where it was the obligatory Christmas Episode (TM) that every 80s and 90s kids cartoon was contractually obligated to have. But since the cartoon was set in The Grid, that meant that programs didn't really understand Christmas. So it was this whole mess of Clu doing what he did and trying to copy the User World to make the perfect system, people saying Christmas every five seconds until it stopped sounding like a real word, and Jet, who was agonizing about whether or not he would be able to be home with his family for Christmas. And in the midst of all of this, Turing swans in to "Steal Christmas" for some nebulous reason, complete with tacky glowing accented Santa Suit, because he's a program and what else would he be wearing? He also was trying to goad Tron into stealing Christmas back, even though it was completely contradictory to his plans, because Tron was the Champion and that's what he was supposed to do.

As silly as it sounds, that honestly was my favorite season 1 episode with Turing in it. Turing had these ideas about how Tron was the Champion, and he was supposed to fight for the Users, but then would also be Very Put Out that Tron wasn't actually doing things for the programs in the system, since the system is where he actually lived, and all his stuff was there. Turing would also go back and forth about if the Users actually existed, because he had never met his, or any other User personally, and how do you prove something is real without data, or evidence to back it up? So Turing, especially Season 1 Turing, would sometimes vacillate wildly between hecking up Tron's day, because who cared about the Users (and also just being a menace), and also going on about how Tron was supposed to protect the programs in the system, and if he wasn't, then he was Doing It Wrong.

Season 1 Turing was kind of a mess. And I don't think the writers really knew what they wanted to do with him. But it was fun, and when he would show up his appearances were always memorable. Tim Curry hadn't reached the utter unhingedness of his Red Alert 3 SPACE scene, but he was doing great work all the same. Think of Mal back in Captain Planet, but dialed up more. But then came Season 2 and all that changed.

Season 2 had this arc about midway through it where another program, Asimov, who was Distinctly More Evil than Turing could ever hope to be, got ahold of Tron and reprogrammed him. Asimov was kind of like the Mr. Sinister of Tron: TAS, as he was interested in code, and what a Program's code destined them to be, or gave them the potential to do, and what could potentially happen if you tried to mix the code of two different programs together. Asimov was honestly terrifying for a kids show, but that's a rant for another day. The point is, he reprogrammed Tron into a cross between Rinzler and The Terminator, and gave this whole long monologue about Tron's code dictating this and it being Tron's destiny to reformat the system, and how this is what he was created to do. (Aside note: Asimov was voiced by Peter Fricking Cullen, playing amazingly against type. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, but apparently not if your name is Tron.) Also, this was a three parter (the only one in the series, actually), and the first part ended on a cliffhanger, with the reveal of reprogrammed!Tron, whose circuits were glowing red. I'm sure that me, and a lot of the other kids that watched it yelled at their TVs when they saw that.

So. All hope seems lost. Tron is a bad guy. The Grid is doomed, right? Wrong. Because in the beginning of the second episode of this three part saga, Turing shows up. He is incensed. His nemesis/frenemy/most boon companion (yes, he used that descriptor) has been compromised. And while he and Tron have never seen eye to eye, that doesn't mean that he is destined to do anything like destroy the system. So Turing, who is So Extra, breaks into where Jet, Clu, and the rest of Team Good Guys are and gives an full on presentation (complete with pictures) of why they are going to rescue Tron, and how he is going to take point. This leads to a lot of arguing and shouting about how Turing even knows this is going on, and Turing being downright offended at even the hint that he is working with Asimov. There's talk of friendship, and Turing points out that neither Jet, nor any of the rest of Team Protag will be able to reprogram Tron, but Turing will be able to, since he's Just That Good. Clu seems to be gearing up to counter all of the reasons this is stupid and why it won't work (and why they can't just call Flynn and get him to fix Tron), when Tron and Asimov show up, intent on annihilating everyone. End of the second episode.

This is the part that I remind you all that this was your typical Saturday Morning Cartoon and that meant you were waiting a week for all of this to get resolved, which is an eternity when you're in the first grade.

So. The conclusion. Tron was standing there about to kill all the guys and reformat the system. Asimov is winding up to give another long villain monologue. Team Protag is very conflicted, because Tron is their friend, but he also doesn't seem to know who they are. Jet believes in himself and gives a speech about friendship. Clu tries to do the same, but it's Clu, so that doesn't really work and he ends up just telling Tron to stop being dumb, but it does give a really nice insight into his and Tron's friendship. Unfortunately, Tron is unmoved by this, and his circuits seem to start glowing even redder. And then Turing steps up. And since this is an 80s cartoon, there aren't going to be any more friendship speeches, because the writers have figured that the kids are bored with all the talking and there needs to be action. So it figures that there would be an action sequence, right? Wrong. Turing doesn't give a speech about friendship, oh no. He basically gives fricking Asimov a lecture about how if this was Tron's destiny, he would have reformatted the system a long time ago, and Asimov clearly doesn't know what he's talking about since Tron is just standing around looking redder than Turing did when he tried to steal Christmas (and yes they actually bring that up). Jet uses the distraction to throw a disc or fire a laser or something at Asimov (because again, 80s kids cartoon), and that actually does cause Asimov to retreat. Turing takes the opportunity to apologize for what he's about to do, before knocking Tron out, and then undoing Asimov's reprogramming.

Turing actually does explain (while Clu and Jet watch him very closely) that sure, he could reprogram Tron into someone that was easier to get along with, but that would make him just like Asimov, and who wants that? Tron is understandably very upset when he finally is back to his normal self, and the implications of the reprogramming and getting better from it last throughout the rest of Season 2, though Tron does mellow out a bit after he gets better from being reprogrammed. And Turing ends up as a recurring good guy after that, and while he doesn't show up in every episode, he is a more frequent presence than he was in season 1. (Though we don't really talk about the weird arc he had in season three. It was dumb, and he got better, so it's better left forgotten.)

(So @teh-kittykat - how did I do?)

#Tron: TAS #Tron: The Animated Series #If it doesn't exist I will make it myself #Turing #Asimov #Tron #Clu #Jet #80s cartoon nonsense #glowstick rave nonsense hours #let's gonacharov the tron cartoon

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astriddestelle · 3 months

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So the live action avatar I wasn’t super hyped before but now im even less hyped.

Sokka’s sexism wasn’t as big a deal as eveyone made it truth be told, he’s only super sexist that for like four episodes before he mellows out. Also I get it, sexism hits different in cartoons vs live action. It’s easier to play things for laughs in cartoons

Them changing Katara to make her less ‘motherly’ or whatever has me raising eyebrows cause the whole point of Katara is that she confirms to gender norms she’s super motherly cause she lost her mom it’s the way her culture is that being said it doesn’t stop her from being one of the most badass characters in the show. It’s honestly cool that this sweet mom character is also the one who’s most likely to legitimately try to kill you if you piss her off or hurt the ones she love. Why would they change that.

Them getting rid of Aangs side quests is the biggest wtf for me. Like the whole point of Aang in the first half of season 1 is that he doesn’t want to be the avatar which is why he spends all that time doing stupid shit, penguin sliding, elephant koi fish, etc. getting rid of that and just having him be like on I’m the avatar gotta say the world is a disservice to his character.

Like obviously they’re trying to make it more adult/realistic because again it being a cartoon gives a lot more leeway. But I feel like there getting rid of the things that make the characters them.

If they wanna get rid of stuff get rid of the great divide, get rid of the cabbage guy (while a great running gag is useless), maybe get rid of Bumi tricking Aang (I get it but at the same time it’s not like super necessary) get rid of Iroh doing absolutely nothing when his nephews face got burned off (😤😤).

Like there’s so many other things they can do sigh. Will I be watching. Tbh I don’t know. The original is right there and this show didn’t need a reboot.

Also why are you showing Ozai so early I know we all know what he looks like but the whole point is that he was this faceless evil, wdym Azula will have a big role in season 1. The whole point if her is to show up in season 2 like oh you thought Zuko was bad well I’m worse 😭

Sigh it’s giving do it all in one season in case we get cancelled but I feel like that’s worst cause then people are gonna be like wait what Azula and Ozai did nothing why were they even in this season etc etc

#netflix avatar #avatar the last airbender #aang #katara #sokka #atla #avatar discourse

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midnightcreator12 · 3 months

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So about that Live Action Avatar

....so, I don't think its going to be good....but I'm going to TRY and give the Netflix Avatar a shot....

.....this is just my thoughts during episode 1....and I'm trying very hard to not be biased but...eh...

Apparently we suffer from the same affliction as Shamalan: For some reason, we have to make the bending look slow as hell and lack any kind of power.

Oh, but hey, you killed a dude on screen. Nice, are we gonna see the darker sides of murder via bending?

Why tf is Aang flying without the glider? No, he's not falling slowly, he is FLYING. Boy thinks he's superman out here.

I'll give you the Aang and Gyatso bonding, I appreciate that. Love what you're doing with that.

Apparently, the writers think I can't remember basic information because they've told me FOUR TIMES 'The Avatar, the only one who can master all four elements' you gonna tell me again later.

Why is Aang freaking out at being the Avatar? He's a ten-year-old boy, any kid would be hyped. I GET the not wanting to leave bit but he's just instantly like 'no, no, I'm not the Avatar' I get we're in a rush but please tell me he's not gonna act like a full-fledged adult.

Appa! You look good buddy!

So, Aang KNOWS that the Fire Nation is planning to start a war before he gets iced....I feel like this undermines how HARD the emotional hit is going to be when he realizes he's the only Air Bender left.

That gut punch when he finds Gyatso's body hits so hard because Aang doesn't know how BAD things have gotten. From where he's standing in the cartoon, he ran but after his ice nap, he calmed down and was like 'okay, I'm ready now!' But then he gets smacked with the 'last of his kind' trope and it firmly shows him how serious this war is.

....he's totally gonna be acting like a grown ass man through this.

APPARENTLY FIRE BENDERS CAN FUCKING FLY TOO, WHAT THE FU-

On-screen murder number 2 and, yeah, the bending looks cool here!

The fire nation is human cannonballing themselves into the temple, what the heck is that??

I do give the show props for showing the genocide of the Air Nomads.

Whhhhhy is there so much slow-mo showing nothing?? Did Shamalan help shoot this??

We have flashed forward and...as much as I appreciate the time in the temple, I still feel like it's going to undermine the emotional impact when Aang goes back. Part of why that scene hit so hard was because, up until then, there was reasonable doubt that all the air-benders were truly gone. Now, anyone coming in who has watched the toon already knows that but the hit when we see the bones of Gyatso, after sending two episodes with Aang being a goofy lil ten year old.....yeah, it won't make as much of an impact for new people coming in.

Hey Katara....WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN THE FIRE NATION BOAT!? WHY ARE YOU PRACTICING BENDING IN THE FORBIDDEN BOAT!?

Good sibling dynamic, off to a very good start.

Wait, she's not allowed to practice?? I thought the writers said they were ditching the sexism??

Hmmm, no, no. I liked it better when Katara got pissed and cracked the ice so Aang could come up. Also she's very meek so far. Sokka snaps at her to quit worrying about waterbending and she just...backs off?? I'm reaaaaally hoping that this issue will not stick.

Sokka...the boat is still close enough to grab....just...get it...

Oh hi Zuko! Did they do your scar right this time?

Nope! You showed SEVERAL people being BURNED ALIVE, but Zuko just forgot to put on sunblock? Did...did everyone just MISS the fact HALF HIS FACE IS BURNED TO HELL?!

Also, apparently, Katara just trying to pull the boat was enough to crack the iceberg?? No, still liked it better when she got mad and snapped open half the ocean. (do not make her meek, do NOT make her meek, I will tap out if you took her fucking fire)

Sokka: Nice, we're not gonna die. K, okay, that was funny. Good thing you're still funny so far Sokka.

....I don't know why yet.....but I don't like this Iroh....he's too....upfront.

Wait, Zuko is looking to get the throne??? wtf, NO, that makes his motivations just like every other fire nation General or Noble. I liked it better when he was a kid desperately trying to get back into his dads good graces by restoring his honor. wtf is this 'I am destined to be fire lord' bs?!

Okay, Aang can just FLY NOW! I GUESS!

Wh- why is Gran-Gran reciting the intro. WE JUST SAW THAT! I FEEL OFFENDED THAT YOU KEEP REPEATING INFORMATION TO ME!

Yeah, just cause you recited the og intro doesn't make you clever! That was a weird-ass segue into that.

Gran-Gran might as well have an 'Inset coin for exposition that we just saw' sigh on her neck.

OOP! There's Iroh aaand he's gone...you had it and then you didn't.

There's some Katara bite. More of that, please.

No, no, I don't like Sokka just going straight to 'Turn Anng over to the fire nation' Yeah, his attack was pathetic but at least he FOUGHT in the cartoon. Here he's just 'welp, see ya kid' ....guess they had to replace the sexism with just zero empathy.

Yay, Katara has some bite! ....shame it undermind Sokka.

The scene cuts are weird...the pacing just jumps all over the place.

I do not like Iroh flipping between 'serious, straightforward' and 'lol, I'm just a silly old man' PICK ONE!

Oh so NOW Aang suddenly can't fly.

Called it, having Aang know what happened right off the bat makes the impact hit less. So him going Avatar mode feels outta place as hell.

Again with the weird scene cuts.

Pft, aw, Zuko has a conspiracy board

Aaaand that was episode 1

....This feels like a checklist. Like when Disney remakes just go through all the most memorable bits of the cartoon because 'thats what the people want, right?' But they're skipping around all the buildup that helped MAKE those highlights hit so hard.

Scenes are rearranged and there is potential there but the choices made just...undermine the moments that are supposed to really hit us.

The kids do well acting but Gran-Gran looks like a younger woman with a wig on and all she does is quote the cartoon.

Katara has moments where her spitfire personality comes through but most of the time shes being very meek and backs down from conflict. The only time she doesn't is to convince Sokka 'hey, don't sell out the 10 year old to the fire nation.

And this is having the same pacing issues that the Live film had. They rush scenes that need to be slow and hold on bits that don't need to be slowed down.

I give the show props for effects and occasionally the bending looking good and for showing people being burned alive but the things it does right are outnumbered by the wrongs so far.

Maybe it'll get better as it goes but...I doubt it.

#avatar netflix #avatar the last airbender #atla #midnight talks

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takaraphoenix · 5 months

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PJO Episode 1 Thoughts

Spoilers ahead, huh.

Positive things first:

I love that Percy draws, and draws pretty well (for a 12 year old). I don't remember him being an artist in the book series? But the idea of him coping with his strange monster visions by drawing them is a nice addition.

Sally is a treasure, the actress brings such a motherly warmth to the role.

I loved Sally sitting in the rain with that expression on her face, you could feel the yearning for Poseidon. Never really got the "still hung up on Poseidon"-vibes in the books, but I still loved that moment for how well it was conveyed.

I do think that Grover is perfectly cast. That kid embodies the anxious and nervous energy I want from my Grover.

For very obvious personal reasons, I will be cherishing and including the fact that Percy plays Mythomagic from hereon out.

And, on that same note, I wonder what's up with the di Angelo name-drop. Maria is dead, her kids are in a magic casino, so is this just completely unrelated to our di Angelos and a bit of a wink wink nudge nudge, or is this actually going to pay off once we get to the di Angelos...?

I did love the "Why is there half a goat in your pants?" line and enjoyed the whole "getting to camp/expositioning" scene. It had the needed dramatic gravity. And Sally making Grover swear an oath. I liked how it was all played, enacted and written, it bodes well for the dramatic moments in the future.

Also the credits are stunning. The art, the designs. Honestly made me feel a lot of disappointment that we didn't get a cartoon adaptation of PJO, because I do still think that would have been a more fitting medium for this.

Now here's the things that bothered me:

Considering that this was episode one, titled "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher", the vaporizing was... not very central to be quite frank? She jumps him in broad daylight, one stab later she's gone. A little bit of a chase, more of a confrontation, to make this seem a bit more significant, would have been nice.

Also damn, the gaslighting of a 12 year old hits way harder when it's live action and with actual kids, than when it's written in a book.

My biggest problem so far: I hate, hate, hate what they've done with Gabe. I hate it. They neutered him so hard.

It's been a couple years since I read the first book, but I remember how utterly uncomfortable Gabe made me. I know this man abused Sally, and it was always implied also Percy.

But this man? Is... just a pathetic loser. He lets Percy completely walk all over him, he gets pushed around by Sally. I remember the "I'm borrowing your car"-scene from the book, because it was a tense scene, because it didn't feel like a given, but this...? This was just... pathetic. That's the only word I have for it.

The character of Gabe Ugliano is so formative to Percy pre-series, and the way they changed him to make him look silly and non-threatening is... frustrating.

I honestly had no idea who got cast for Chiron, that one somehow went fully past me. I think the actor is... a little old. He has the warmth that Chiron needs, but with his 76 years he brings it more in a grandpa way than in a mentor way. Chiron should have been in his 50s, if pushing it in his 60s.

And while I did like the dramatic weight of the parting scene, I also do think that... Sally's sacrifice is... less heavy than in the books? Like, they stand there and yap for minutes, while they could have just gone ahead and been safe at camp in that time, and then Sally dies and Percy and Grover still just stand there and watch instead of going to the safety of camp. It felt very avoidable...

#PJOTV #PJOTV Spoilers #PJOverse #Phoe Watching PJO #S01E01 - I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher

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thesoftboiledegg · 2 years

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Every time someone says that Rick and Morty is cartoon nihilism, it tells me that they don't know what nihilism is. First off, they mean existential nihilism, not just "nihilism." And second, most of the scenes that they point to aren't nihilistic.

This article about existentialism vs. nihilism describes it this way:

Regardless of religion or science, the question "why" or "what is the point" will never have a direct answer. This is where Nihilism comes into play. The conclusion to them is that there is no purpose or answer. We are here merely to just survive and someday die. Nothing we do truly matters, as we do not know the tangible source of where we were before life and where we will go after.

Britannica describes nihilism like this:

In the 20th century, nihilism encompassed a variety of philosophical and aesthetic stances that, in one sense or another, denied the existence of genuine moral truths or values, rejected the possibility of knowledge or communication, and asserted the ultimate meaninglessness or purposelessness of life or of the universe.

So, by these metrics, Rick and Morty is not a nihilistic show.

People bring up the butter robot from "Something Ricked This Way Comes" as an example of how life is meaningless. The robot only exists to pass the butter. But that's not nihilistic because the robot has a clearly defined purpose. That's the opposite of nihilism.

Mr. Meeseeks is another popular one. Many people see Mr. Meeseeks as a symbolic representation of "Existence is pain." I agree with that interpretation, but again--that's not existential nihilism. In fact, the entire point of Mr. Meeseeks is that they have a defined purpose. They exist to do what you tell them to do, then poof out of existence when they've accomplished their goal.

In "The Rickchurian Mortydate," Rick outright says "Nothing you think matters matters." Surely, that's a nihilistic statement?

However, he doesn't say that life is meaningless because it has no purpose. He says that their actions aren't important (or "special") because the same thing is happening in an infinite number of realities. "This universe isn't unique" and "Life has no purpose" are two different statements.

I'd actually say the same thing about "Rick Potion #9." Rick doesn't jump into another reality because nothing matters--he does it because he fucked up this version of Earth, and he and Morty need to resume their lives elsewhere. Maaaybe he was trying to teach Morty that nothing matters, but I don't buy that because he brought Morty with him. Morty matters to him.

I don't get why people take what Rick says at face value anyway because it's clear from season one that he's full of shit. He drinks constantly, abuses substances, wanders the house when he's lonely and clings desperately to a 14-year-old. I get that season one is far from season five, which refutes almost everything that Rick said previously, but a traumatized, barely functioning alcoholic saying "Nothing matters" doesn't make it a nihilistic show.

Some other theories that people have come up with:

Rick is a sociopath, which means that he's a nihilist who doesn't care about anything. I wouldn't call him a sociopath--he struggles with empathy but doesn't lack it. We've seen him show empathy plenty of times. I think people forget that he's autistic, which could explain why he has trouble relating to people. Also, sociopathy doesn't equal nihilism.

Rick turned himself into a pickle because he's looking for a purpose. No? lol. He did that to get out of family therapy.

Rick goes on adventures because he's looking for a purpose. I can actually understand this perspective, but so many of his adventures are just him and Morty screwing around. He's not trying to be heroic, help people or accomplish anything. He's not trying to be evil, either--he just does whatever sounds enjoyable. It's shallow entertainment for him rooted in escapism.

"Wubba lubba dub dub" is a nihilistic catchphrase. This one makes no sense to me because Bird Person outright tells Morty in "Ricksy Business" that it really means "I am in great pain. Please help me."

And finally, people bring up Morty's famous quote: "Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. Everyone’s gonna die. Come watch TV." That's a nihilistic perspective, but Morty's not a nihilistic character. One line doesn't make Rick and Morty a show about how nothing matters, especially since so much matters to Morty. He was just trying to make Summer feel better.

And then season five reveals that Rick's "I don't care about anything" attitude is a lie from the start. He was lying about everything. I realize that people point to earlier seasons when they talk about nihilism, not season five, but everything in season five still happens. Rick was lying in every single episode all the way back to the pilot.

After Prime Rick killed Rick's wife and daughter, he tore across the galaxy in a vengeance-fueled rage. He befriended Bird Person, helped him fight a war and fell in love with him. When Bird Person rejected him and Rick gave up trying to find his family's killer, he moved in with an adult version of Beth and clung to Morty for dear life.

Rick and Morty is not a show about how you shouldn't care about anything because life is meaningless and we're all going to die. If anything, Rick cares too much. And his clinginess, trauma and self-hatred might be his downfall in the end.

---

I want to thank @hazelnut-u-out for telling me about the different arguments floating around this fandom, especially on YouTube.

#rick and morty #rick sanchez #adult swim #adult animation #morty smith #long post #essay #save #nihilism

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knickynoo · 1 year

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Back to the Future: The Animated Series, s01ep09 "Solar Sailors" Review and Commentary

Previous episodes linked HERE

In this episode: Doc and Clara take a relaxing anniversary cruise to Mars but instead end up facing the terrifying reality of being lost adrift in the outer reaches of space until their eventual deaths. But like. In a fun kids' cartoon way.

I know that the point of this entire cartoon is to focus on the cartoon (duh), but the live-action segments with Real Doc are entirely too short. I want more time with him. He is my favorite wild-eyed scientist, and we should have been able to see his absolutely crazed face more often.

I will also use this opportunity to express how much I would have liked if Michael J. Fox had been able to appear in at least one of these segments. Like. Even if it had just been thirty seconds of screentime. It would've been really fun to have seen him as college-aged Marty, barging in on Doc's weird little science show for a few moments.

Moving on.

Real Doc talks about the time he went to space and leads us into the cartoon, where we see Jules and Verne surprising their parents with anniversary gifts. Verne gives them a drawing, and it's adorable.

Jules presents them with the "J.E.B. Cross-Time Headliner," which is equipped with a flux capacitor and allows someone to type in any date and get the newspaper headlines from that time.

Little interesting side-note: The cartoon establishes Doc and Clara's wedding anniversary as December 15th. From reading the wiki for this episode, though, I learned that the BTTF card game (released in 2010) places Doc and Clara's wedding on September 15th instead. Given the absolute whirlwind that Doc and Clara's relationship is in Part III, I think the September date is more fitting. They definitely flew off to safety on the hoverboard, took a second to collect themselves, and then went, "Wow, that was wild; hope Marty made it back home. Let's get married!!"

Jules demonstrates that the machine can pull headlines from the future and types in December 15, 2091, which shows this:

And this is how we learn that the McFly family will own a space cruise company in the future. Also, this newspaper costs $85.

After Clara mentions how nice it would be to take a "second honeymoon" to Mars, Jules hands them two tickets. (he then reveals he used time travel + Doc's credit card to buy the tickets, lol) Doc and Clara leave that same night in the time machine, announcing to the boys that they'll be back in two minutes. As soon as they leave, though, Jules's machine prints out a new headline. This one is from the following day, December 16th, and reads, "McFly Solar Sailship Lost in Space!" Uh oh.

Happy anniversary, Doc and Clara! You are lost forever in the vastness of outer space.

It's up to Jules and Verne to travel to the future and prevent their parents from boarding the ship (named the "MSC Marty", btw). 2091 Hill Valley is super futuristic and shiny, and pretty much everything is run by robots. Unfortunately, Jules and Verne get diverted upon their arrival, so they're unable to keep Doc and Clara from boarding the ship. We then hear an announcement from the captain, Marta McFly, who is Marty and Jennfer's great-granddaughter.

This may be a good place to mention how much I dislike the trend of Marty's relatives having names that are so similar to his. I will give Marty Jr. a pass since that's a common thing for a father and son to do the senior/junior thing, but I honestly don't even like Marlene's name. Marty and Jen could have been more creative than that. (I even like to headcanon that they end up giving her a different name in the "better" version of 2015 that ends up happening for the McFly family—that's how much I dislike the "every relative after Marty is named after him" thing) But I digress...

We learn that the person in charge of ship maintenance is Ziff Tannen, and he is not happy about the fact that, "McFlys have been kicking Tannens around for centuries," and wants his revenge. I think it's funny that these two families just cannot escape each other no matter how hard they try. Of all the people in the world, the Tannens and McFlys are just entwined together no matter the time period or location. The only thing is that the dynamic switches based on if it's pre or post-George punching Biff in 1955. But there's nothing they can do to fully break whatever bizarre ties bind them to each other. Good stuff.

Anyway, Ziff is so bent on making the McFlys pay that he sabotages the ship—dooming ALL OF THESE innocent people to certain death in outer space.

Jules and Verne are unable to get anyone to believe their warnings, and the ship launches. Farewell, Doc and Clara. We will miss you dearly. Considering that Clara is living 100+ years out of her proper time period and that Doc's parents are deceased and he doesn't have any siblings, I can only assume they have it in their wills that, in the event of their untimely demise, Marty gets custody of Jules and Verne. Or perhaps Einstein does. Honestly, with the way Marty's character is in this series, Jules and Verne might be better off being raised by a dog.

In order to gain access to the building where the sailships are being launched, Jules and Verne sneak in with a group of kids who are on a school field trip to tour the McFly Museum of Aeronautics. The McFly family has really built a successful empire for themselves, haven't they?

Meanwhile, in outer space, the passengers of the MSC Marty sailship are enjoying their trip, blissfully unaware of the impending catastrophe. Doc and Clara are riding around on hover scooters and come across an area of the ship where a concert is being held, and they're shocked to see the main act: Marty!

Except it isn't actually Marty, which Doc and Clara discover when they follow him backstage and he rips off his face.

Doc and Clara, understandably, react with utter terror.

But, yes, the guy is merely a Marty McFly impersonator. Marty evidently became a successful enough musician that he has people who are hired to pretend to be him in concerts. (side note: this 10 second scene of "Marty" is the only appearance he makes in this episode)

Things start going haywire then as the sabotaged sails malfunction, sending the ship floating toward the "outer edge of the solar system." Doc and Clara immediately decide to do what they can to help the situation, all the while Jules and Verne are still on Earth trying to get anybody to take their warnings seriously. After breaking their way into the control room and finding out that a Tannen works there, Jules delivers what is perhaps my favorite line.

It's just such a fun and clever "Jules" twist on the idiom: "bet dollars to donuts." He is very much Doc's son.

Ziff is so outraged at the accusation that he accidentally drops a piece of evidence in front of several other crew members—his copy of a magazine titled "Sabotage Weekly." And honestly, this moment alone makes me reconsider this show's reputation for being terrible. I mean, come on. He's reading a magazine called SABOTAGE WEEKLY! This is top-tier comedy! And to add even more delight to the scene, Ziff attempts to flee the scene via jetpack, but he puts it on the wrong way and catapults himself out of the building and straight into prison. Who's cell does he end up crashing into? His grandfather Griff's!!

"You blew it, didn't you, butthead?" Griff disappointedly asks his grandson.

A worker at the control center takes a look at the damaged ship via video feed and forlornly informs the boys that there's nothing she can do. Jules is undeterred by this, though, and formulates a plan to rescue his parents and all the people aboard the ship.

We return to Doc and Clara, who have donned spacesuits and are outside the ship trying to repair it themselves, to no avail. At the realization that it isn't working, Clara notes that she can't believe they will never see their boys again, and Doc cries so much that he fills up his entire suit with tears.

This is. Such a fun children's cartoon.

Thankfully, the agony doesn't last long because Jules and Verne soon come to the rescue, having borrowed the space center's first ship, the MSC Jennifer. They use it to tow the MSC Marty safely back to Earth, and all is well. End of cartoon portion. Back to Real Doc! He greets us with a very silly joke and cracks himself up.

I'm thinking that Doc is probably very proficient at Dad-jokes around his children and that he stands there laughing uncontrollably while his family just stares at him. Anyway, he explains that this is because space is a vacuum, which leads us into an experiment that creates a vacuum in a jar—using fire to suck a small balloon inside of it. And that's about it!

This was a fun one to write about, even though I feel like this post is super lengthy. I'm glad that a lot of you are still enjoying these!

Join me next time to see Marty pose as a ghost in 1845 London in order to break Clara out of prison.

#back to the future #bttf: the animated series

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atths--twice · 1 year

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Chapter Five

Fox takes Dana to a bookshop that he loves, to show her something he finds endearing.

“I liked this one,” Dana said at the end of her shift the next day, returning a book he had let her borrow. “It was interesting. Buuuuut…” She made a face as she sat opposite him in the booth, her gloves held in her hands.

“But what?” he asked with a smile, fingering the tear on the bottom of the dust jacket.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged.

“What?”

“The main female character…” she said, rolling her eyes.

“What about her?”

“She just… is it… do you really think someone could fall in love that quickly? That their eyes could meet and you just know?” She sighed and shrugged again. “Seems a bit like a fairy tale.” He laughed and nodded, knowing he had felt the same when he read it. “My eyes nearly rolled out of my head when I read that, but I genuinely liked the rest. And I did grow to love her, and even cried when she was separated from him, but it was slow going. I want that noted.”

“Did you write it in the margins?” he teased and she shook her head with a frown.

“I wouldn’t do that to your books. I… I know I do it to mine, but… I wouldn’t do it to yours.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you did. I actually like that you do. Shows a book’s been read in depth and has been enjoyed.”

“You mean that, don’t you?” she asked, searching his face.

“I do,” he assured her, nodding with a smile.

“But you’re a writer. I always thought you’d like books to stay in good condition. I was hesitant to share mine with you at first, thinking you’d judge me for the way I treat them.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” he said softly, looking down at his book, fiddling with the dust jacket again. Lifting his eyes, he smiled at her. “Can I take you somewhere?”

“Now?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.

“Your shift is over, right?”

“Yeah, but… aren’t you busy?” She gestured to his laptop and he shook his head.

“I can do it later,” he said, closing the laptop and packing up. “One of the perks about being a writer is that I’m my own boss. Well, sort of. My agent might say otherwise.”

“I don’t want to stop you from working.”

“Not at all,” he said, shaking his head and then stopping his clearing up. “Oh, maybe you have plans? I should have waited for your answer.”

“No. I don’t have any plans.”

“So… yes? You’ll come with me?”

“Yes. I will,” she said with a smile.

“Fantastic,” he smiled, packing up the remaining items and leaving cash on the table for Lucy. “Let’s get going.”

_____________

“Thanks,” Fox said, paying the cab driver and getting out, holding the door for Dana.

“I don’t think I’ve been down here before,” she said, looking around.

“I don’t come down here often, but…” He turned to the right, walking on the outside of the sidewalk while she walked on the inside. “There is a great bookshop just up ahead.”

“A bookshop?”

“Yeah,” he said, smiling at her. “When I moved here, well actually before I did, I checked the area for bookstores. There are the chain ones of course, and some small used bookshops, buuuuut, only a couple that I really like to visit. This is the best one.”

“Hmm… you’re living rather dangerously.”

“How’s that?” he asked, stopping at the steps leading down to the shop.

“Bookshops are rather my weakness,” she said and he chuckled with a nod. “That and bakeries. I mean, how am I supposed to decide on a pastry when they all look so delicious? Cream horns, Napoleon’s, croissants, petit fours… it’s impossible to choose.”

“So you usually get one of each?” he teased, starting down the stairs.

“Except for the petit fours. I have to get a few of those as they’re so small. And they also make me feel like Alice when she was in Wonderland, eating the cake to make her grow. That was my favorite story as a child. I like the movies too, both the cartoon and the live action one.”

He smiled at her as they reached the door of Lantern Books and she smiled back shyly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“I like this store because of the character it holds. I think you’ll like it too.”

“I’m sure I will. Probably too much. I’m not buying anything. Not buying anything…” she said quietly and he laughed as he turned the knob and opened the door, a bell tinkling overhead. “Oh no, I’m in trouble.”

The bookshop was not overly large, but it was packed with books on many shelves. Comfortable overstuffed chairs sat sporadically around the room, encouraging people to sit and enjoy the books.

It was dark inside, being at the basement level and having a lack of windows. The shop was instead lit by golden light from well placed sconces, adding to the ambience of the shop. It was as if a person had traveled to a different time, the world outside awaiting their return.

“I love it. God, doesn’t it smell so good?” she whispered as she took a deep breath. “The scent of books, especially old books… it’s intoxicating.”

“Could not agree more,” he said, smiling as he gently cupped her elbow and led her to the back, to the collection of books he particularly wanted her to see.

“I’ve spent a lot of time here,” he said, bending his head close to her ear. “When I first moved to the city, I would come in here and look around, missing my old shops back home and finding comfort in the books. I discovered this section back here and when you shared your first book with me, it made me think of them.”

“Why?” she asked as they stopped in front of a wide bookcase painted purple, and trimmed in gold. He smiled as he took an old blue hardcover book from the shelf and handed it to her.

“The shopkeeper calls these books “hallowed royalty,” hence the painting of the bookcase to signify it. Open it. You’ll see why.” He smiled again as she opened the book and exhaled a breath, looking up at him with a smile.

Inside the front cover was the previous owner's name, Ella Willows, written in beautiful cursive, and a drawing of a person in a chair, reading the same story Dana was holding. She closed the book and looked at the cover, the title written in gold with embellishments surrounding it. Opening it again, she smiled as she touched the drawing.

“Keep going,” he said, watching her as she turned the pages, knowing what she would find as he had looked at that particular book many times.

Inside the pages, there were drawings on the margins, smiley faces, exclamation marks at the end of passages, underlined and boxed sections, and questions and comments at the ends of chapters. The printing was small, concise, and incredibly neat.

There were some notes written to someone named Zee, and Fox often wondered if Ella and they had shared the book. There were no corresponding comments, so his imagination ran wild as to who it could have been and if they had ever seen the notes.

“This is…” Dana said as she turned the pages, stopping to read some comments and tracing the doodles on the pages. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I… when I read, I find I have to make notes in the book because it helps me absorb it better. Like I said, I was almost embarrassed to share mine with you because I don’t know many people who draw or write in their books. Seeing this, I kinda feel a kinship to Ella. She’s got a lot to say and she obviously loved this book very much. Oh…” She laughed softly as she turned to the back cover. “It’s a detailed description of what she loved best. Wow…”

Fox watched her as she read, her lips moving slightly and she did, before curving into a smile. Her eyebrows raised and she laughed quietly, her thumb rubbing the cover in soft circles. She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes.

“Oh. Are you okay?” he asked, frowning as he reached out to touch her arm.

“I am. I don’t know what the story is about, but I need to buy this book.”

“So much for your mantra before we walked inside,” he said with a small chuckle.

“It’s too beautiful,” she said, shaking her head and smiling as she wiped at her eyes. “It might be expensive though, I’ll have to see, but I’m gonna hold onto it.” She sniffled as she put the book in the crook of her arm and looked at the shelf, picking out another book.

He smiled as he watched her thumbing through the pages, her eyes lighting up as she looked at what others had written.

“You finding everything okay? Oh, Fox, hello,” a voice said and they both turned at the sound.

An older woman stood there, smiling happily at them. Her short white hair was styled impeccably and green eyes shined behind a pair of glasses, her face soft and round. She wore a dark green sweater with the outline of golden bells upon it and black pants. Small golden bells hung from her ears and a bell necklace laid upon her sweater.

“Mary, hello,” he said as they embraced. “Happy Holidays to you.”

“And to you,” she said, patting his back as they separated. “Haven’t seen you in awhile. Your writing been keeping you busy?”

“Uhhh… yes and no,” he said with a laugh and she smiled with a nod. “I’ve got it written here and there, but… it’s still percolating.”

“Best way to write, in my opinion,” she stated and he nodded, turning toward Dana.

“Mary, I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Dana. Dana, this is Mary. She owns this shop.”

“Nice to meet you,” they each said, shaking hands.

“Oh… I see you’ve discovered one of Ella’s books.”

“One of them?” Dana asked with a look of surprise.

“Oh yes,” Mary answered, nodding with a smile. “There are… four, I believe.” She stepped closer to the shelf and hummed as she searched, pulling one out and handing it to Dana.

“Oh!” Dana said, smiling with a small laugh. “It’s Alice in Wonderland! I… can you hold this one?” She handed the book she had just taken down to Fox and walked to the nearest chair.

Taking off her puffy coat, she laid it on the back of the chair and sat down. Placing Ella’s first book beside her, she opened Alice in Wonderland with a sigh and a small smile.

Fox smiled as he held the book and watched her as she gently touched the front cover. Looking back, he found Mary holding out another book. He reached for it, but when she did not let go immediately, he met her eyes with his eyebrows raised.

She cut her eyes to Dana and looked back at him. No words were voiced, but he heard the question in her expression loud and clear.

“Just a friend,” he said quietly, for only her to hear.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, letting go of the book and taking the other one from him to reshelve it, her eyebrows raised.

“She is.”

“Mmhmm,” Mary hummed again, though the tone of it was different. He smiled and shook his head as her attention returned to the shelf, looking for Ella’s last book.

Finding it, she added it to the one he was holding. Glancing back at Dana, she nodded knowingly at him, squeezed his arm and walked away.

Shaking his head, he looked down at the books and he knew they would be leaving with all of them, regardless of the price. He would pay for them and anything else she wanted, if it meant he saw her as happy as she was right now.

Walking over to her, he set the books down on the arm of the chair and smiled at her. She looked up in surprise and he laughed.

“Were you somewhere in Wonderland?” he teased and she nodded with a smile, looking back down at the book.

“It feels like I’m sharing a book with a friend, as crazy as that may sound. Especially considering I’ve never even met Ella.”

“I don’t think it’s crazy at all. That’s why I’ve enjoyed reading your books. It’s like I’m getting a look inside your head, how you were feeling when you read it.” She lifted her head and he smiled. “You take your time here, I’m gonna have a look around.” He tapped the other books and nodded as he stepped past the chair and went to look around the rest of the shop.

He had seen it all many times, but Mary was forever getting new and old books in to fill the shelves. Not having a particular need, he simply walked around, seeing what was new or what caught his eye.

Turning to the right twice, he was in the children's section. Large floor pillows in rainbow colors sat on a black area rug with stars, clouds, rainbows, and happy faces.

Two little girls were lying on their bellies, the older of the two reading a joke book out loud, both of them giggling hysterically. He smiled as he passed their mom, sitting in a rocking chair and smiling as she took a video of them.

He was not sure what drew him to the shelf, but the first book he saw was a story about pandas. Smiling, he took it from the shelf and leafed through it. It was cute, but he put it back, the story not exactly what he was looking for.

“Oh…” he said quietly, noticing a shiny pink glittery book. Pulling it out, and looking at it, he nodded.

It was a book and journal combination with writing on only a few pages. On one side of each page was a short story and a blank page opposite where a picture could be drawn or the story could be continued. Thinking of the drawing Ivy had made for him, he wanted to buy the book for her, if Dana approved, to encourage her to draw more illustrations.

He continued walking around, hearing the girls laughing as he browsed the shelves, giving Dana time to look at Ella’s books. He found a few for himself and added them to the one he had chosen for Ivy, when Dana walked up to him with a smile.

“You found some then?” she asked, nodding to his books.

“I did. I actually found this as well and wanted to ask if it was okay for me to buy it for Ivy.” He handed her the book and she held it, Ella’s books held in the crook of her left arm.

“You want to buy this for her?” she asked, turning the pages and smiling softly.

“Yeah. If it’s okay. I don’t want to overstep,” he said, watching her face.

She sighed as she touched the pages, closing the book and handing it back to him.

“You bought us a tree and the trimmings-”

“It’s different,” he interrupted, still watching her. “I don’t want to… imply anything or have her… I just…” He stopped talking, not exactly sure of how to word what he was feeling. She smiled as she touched his arm, nodding slightly.

“I understand. I do,” she said softly. “My friend, Fox…” She sighed again as she held his gaze. “… I think she would love that book.”

It felt as though they were the only people in the bookshop. In the city. The world. Time seemed to slow as he heard what she was and was not saying and he understood the trust she was placing in him.

“Thank you,” he whispered and she squeezed his arm slightly in response as she nodded.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod, swallowing down the sudden lump in his throat.

They walked to the register and Mary smiled at them.

“Oh, I’m so glad you enjoy the treasures,” she said, reaching for Dana’s books. “I have always enjoyed reading Ella’s in particular.”

“I actually need to know the price before I buy them. I realize they are written in, but that only increases their value, in my opinion anyway. But I don’t know if I can afford all of them. Can you tell me how much they cost first?” She bit her lip and Fox wanted to tell her that he was buying all of them, but a warning glance from her silenced him.

“Well, as you said, they are written in, but they are also old editions and, aside from the writing, they are in rather good condition,” Mary said and Dana’s face fell even as she nodded in understanding. “Each of them is forty dollars.”

“Oh…” Dana said, sighing deeply and nodding again. “I’ll just take the Alice in Wonderland one then. I can’t… that’s all. I’ll put the other ones back.” She smiled tightly and took the other three, turning around and walking to put them back on the shelf.

He sighed as he watched her, looking back at Mary with pleading eyes.

“I’ll get them later,” she said and he thanked her with a nod. “You buying all of the remaining ones?” She pointed to the ones in his hands and to Dana’s.

“No. Just mine here. I’ll wait for her to pay first.” Mary smiled and glanced back at Dana as she joined them again, still smiling rather tightly.

“This is my favorite of the four,” Mary said, ringing up the book. Wrapping it in tissue before placing it into a small brown bag, she handed it to Dana. “You’ll have fun reading it.”

“I’ve enjoyed what I saw so far,” Dana said with a smile, a real one this time. “It was my favorite book as a child, I feel like I’m reading it for the first time, but sharing it with a friend.”

“Oh,” Mary said, beaming at Dana. “ I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I know exactly what you mean.”

“We should stop and get some petit fours for your reading adventure,” Fox said as he handed Mary his books.

“Oh, that’s the only way to read it,” Mary agreed, taking Dana’s money and Fox’s books. “The prettier the better.” Dana laughed and nodded, hooking the bag over her arm.

They said goodbye as Mary handed Fox his bag. He raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded with a smile, waving to them as they walked out the door.

Catching a cab, they stopped at the bakery Dana liked where she purchased half a dozen petit fours, smiling happily as she watched them being placed in a pink box.

They were quiet as they walked to her apartment and he wondered what she was thinking. He did not want her to feel bad about leaving the other books behind, so he hoped she was not hung up on it.

At the door to her building, she turned to him with a smile.

“Thank you for this afternoon or… evening. And for sharing that shop with me. It was so beautiful and cozy and… exactly what a bookshop should be,” she said, looking down at the bags on her arm. “I’m going to enjoy my evening greatly. I’ll call Ivy and then settle in with my treats and a glass of wine.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said with a grin. “I’m happy you enjoyed it. I’ll wait until she’s back to give this journal to Ivy, if that’s okay.” She nodded and smiled.

“More than okay.”

“Good,” he said with a relieved sigh. “Well, enjoy your evening and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” she said with a smile. “Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome,” he said quietly, clearing his throat and stepping back. “Night.”

“Goodnight.” She turned and walked through the glass door, waving to him and he waved back with a smile.

Walking a couple of blocks, he flagged down a cab, and rode back to Mary’s shop.

The bell tingled as he walked in and she was standing just across the threshold as though she had been waiting for him. She nodded and he followed her to the register where Ella’s other books sat ready to be picked up.

He paid for them, taking the receipt and the bag of books. They were each wrapped in different colors of tissue paper and tied with brown twine, the lantern decal bearing the shop's name hanging from it.

“Thank you, Mary,” he said softly and she nodded.

“Just a friend, huh?” she asked, a knowing smile on her face.

“Yes,” he assured her and she nodded.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed with another nod. He smiled and stepped away from the register, waving goodbye once again as he walked out the door.

Who exactly are you trying to convince? he thought as he walked up the steps, smiling as he shook his head, not quite sure of the answer.

#alternate universe #modern setting #msr #diners #bookshops #date... light #the x files #xf fanfic #happiness #spending time together #getting to know more about each other #sharing the love of reading #new friendship #developing friendships

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